A Costume Party
by Mariabonita
Summary: When a Halloween party is held at the Lux, Lisa and Cynthia reluctantly participate. But that doesn't mean they can't have fun, right?
1. Chapter 1

It had been an uneventful day at the Lux. Lisa was getting some paper work done, when she heard a knock on the door.

"It's open"

A miserable looking Cynthia came into her office. She was staring at her Blackberry in disbelief "Hey Lisa, did you get an e-mail from Ms. Abrams about the costume party?"

"Sure, they've turned it into a fund raiser. Ava sent the email this morning."

"Shit, are you kidding me?" Cynthia slumped on the couch, visibly exasperated "Now we're stuck going!"

"Oh come on Cyn, it could be fun, you know, you can dress as your favorite TV character!"

"Wait, you mean you actually want to go?"

Cynthia was unprepared for the sound of Lisa's laughter dancing around the room "Of course not. I'm practicing sounding sincere just in case"

"Lisa, come on"

"Ok Cyn, for real" she looked at the redhead with a completely serious expression on her face "I'll be happy to go, I mean it is for a worthy cause and I've always loved dressing up for Halloween."

"Really?"

"No way, I'm just practicing for when we talk to Ava" Lisa displayed the best of her smiles "I really hate these things, though apparently not as much as you"

"I have no idea how to dress up! You won't have any problems with that"

"What do you mean?"

"Well Lisa, first of all, you could wear a burlap sack and it will look flattering" putting her head between her hands, Cynthia sighed in frustration "I don't think I've ever found a costume that really suits me"

"Ok thanks for the compliment sweetie, but don't you think you're exaggerating?" Lisa really thought that Cynthia was being too hard on herself this time, more so than usual "I mean, as long as you don't go as Raggedy Ann like two years ago, you will be fine"

"Not a chance"

"Look Cyn, as much as we both hate it, there's no way to get out of this, so maybe we can only try to make the best of it" Lisa patted her friend on the shoulder to get her attention "Unless, there is more to this than a costume?"

After a few moments in silence, Cynthia finally let it all out "Well, you know that everyone is bringing dates, or almost everyone. I've heard from a very reliable source that Matt will be dateless that night"

Lisa wanted to smile at the twinkle in her friend's dreamy eyes "Wait… Matt who? …the concierge?"

"Will you please keep your voice down?!"

"Oh my God Cynthia, that's great. He's a really nice guy"

"A really nice guy I'm not even dating. How is that great?"

"Listen to me. Maybe this whole costume party is actually a blessing in disguise. You weren't going to attend; now you have to, so…" Lisa stood pulling Cynthia to her feet "This is your chance, and you're taking it Cynthia Davis. This guy had better get ready to be amazed!"

"Gosh Lisa, are you serious?" she regarded her skeptically "Please, don't tell me this is another one of your jokes!"

"Of course I will help you, silly. You are my friend, and while it's true that I don't really see the point to Halloween right now I can't imagine anything else that could make this whole thing endurable" Lisa smiled at her friend's sigh in relief

"Well, surely it won't be the only thing Lisa. I mean there's your date too"

_Wait… WHAT!_

Lisa froze in surprise. She hadn't seen that one coming, and she needed to ask

"Hold on a second, Cyn. How do you know I have a date?"

"Oh please! It doesn't take a genius to see that you've got someone in your life" Cynthia winked knowingly. "You laugh more, you hum songs, you even joke, I mean, seriously whoever this guy is, he has breathed new life into you"

Lisa blushed furiously. Apparently the ginger was way more observant than she had given her credit for, but then again, maybe she just hadn't bothered with hiding her incredibly good mood. And as crazy as it could sound, he had pretty much convinced her earlier her during breakfast.

_Think about it. Leese. No one's got anything on me, for all purposes I don't exist. Besides, it's fucking Halloween, we'll be in costumes. Unless, you want to go on your own, do you?_

"So, am I going to meet your mystery man, too?

Cynthia's question brought Lisa back from her reverie.

"You know what Cyn?" She looked at her friend smugly "I think you will"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I got a couple of reviews from guests who urged me to continue on the 31****st,**** or update sooner. Sorry guys, I had plans that night and the last couple of days have been busy. But anyways, thank you for your kind words. Here's Chapter 2. Enjoy :)**

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Lisa sighed impatiently, glancing down at her red off-the-shoulder gothic Victorian dress while she adjusted her black waistband _'How on earth could women wear these things?' _Once again, she knocked on the bathroom door for the tenth time. "Okay, we've been through this, and it's getting old"

"I'm not going"

Lisa couldn't believe her ears. She had lost count of how many different costumes Cynthia had tried on before she finally convinced her that they had a winner. She couldn't just not go.

"We're already dressed up Cyn. C'mon! This is so not the time to get cold feet!"

The door opened and Cynthia finally emerged from the bathroom, looking rather lovely in a 1920's costume "Are you sure this isn't a bit too much"

"How is it too much? You're not even finished. Now come over, see yourself Cyn. You look gorgeous" Lisa said as she guided her to a full length mirror fixed to her closet, where Cynthia could see herself in her beautiful gold flapper dress. She stood for a few moments allowing Lisa to fix her hair into a short blonde ritzy wig. Once the wig was in place, Cynthia took over, securing her headband before she placed a pearl necklace around her neck while Lisa went to get her black sheer gloves and her clutch purse. Satisfied that they had completed their looks, Lisa smiled at Cynthia in reassurance "Okay let's go, all that stalling of yours has made us late" With that, she grabbed her friend by the arm and whirled around, the long skirt of her gothic dress shifting.

"Are you wearing your hair down?" Cynthia asked as she admired her friend's long tresses.

"Well, I'm just not in the mood for an updo and even if I was, there's no time for that"

"I guess we don't want to make your date wait, right Lisa?"

Lisa figured she would need to change the subject before the conversation got awkward "I wouldn't worry about him, he'll wait. Although I don't know about Matt, he might have already hooked up with someone else as we're speaking"

Cynthia's eyes went wide with horror at Lisa's words. In the end it was her who nearly dragged them out of the apartment, almost forgetting her wristlet clutch and her apartment keys in the process.

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the hotel they spotted Matt, standing at five feet seven inches, unmissable in Johnny Strabler's motorcycle clothing. His curly, blonde hair perfectly slicked back under a very distinctive cap ala Marlon Brando. Despite such a tough costume, he looked boyishly charming as he was chatting animatedly with a bunch of elves from Middle-Earth. Meanwhile, Cynthia felt her nerves go into overdrive, she hoped he hadn't caught sight of her. She would have hid promptly if it weren't for certain hotel manager.

"Hey Matt!" Lisa waved him over.

"Wait, NO! What are you doing?"

At the sound of his name, Matt Robbins immediately turned to find two gorgeous ladies in period costumes. Each woman was beautiful in her own right, although one seemed more at ease than the other. He excused himself with his friends and made his way over them

It took the biker boy a moment to recognize the hotel manager Lisa Reisert, in a very flattering long red dress, waving a black gloved arm at him. Next to Lisa, a shy-looking, nonetheless lovely blonde dressed in a flirty 1920s costume, caught his attention completely. Who was she? He was quite sure he hadn't seen her before, or he wouldn't have forgotten.

"Hi Lisa. Nice to see you here, Ms. Abrams has been asking for you" Matt greeted as he approached both women with a smile that broadened when he noticed a distinctive pair of large hazel eyes, shining back at his own brown orbs. "Cynthia?"

The younger woman's features relaxed and warmed up with a big smile.

"Hello Matt"

"I didn't recognize you. You look stunning tonight" he said in a quiet husky voice.

Lisa grinned at the scene before her. Intent on kicking Cupid's ass, she found the perfect excuse to give them some time alone "Hey Matt listen, a friend of mine is joining us later and we need to get a table before all of them are taken. Would you be a dear and help Cynthia find one?" she looked at him with insistent eyes "I gotta go find Ava. I'll just be a minute" Cynthia flashed a startled look at Lisa, she tried to say something but only a gasp came out.

"Absolutely" Matt had already taken Cynthia's hand in his own and was leading her away.

Happy to have accomplished her good deed of the day, Lisa was off to find her boss, which wasn't easy since there were about a hundred people milling around. A couple of minutes later, she found her near a fountain, sporting Holly Golightly's fabulous little black dress, complete with tiara and necklace. She sounded really cheerful as they discussed how well the fundraising had been going so far. Both women carried on a conversation for a while, before Lisa congratulated Ava for a brilliant party one last time and she decided to go back to her friends.

Her face dropped slightly when she found Cynthia sitting all by herself at a table on a corner

"Where is Matt?" Lisa asked, looking for the blonde "I'm so gonna have a word with that guy for leaving you here on your own"

Startled at her friend's annoyed tone, Cynthia promptly replied "What? No, don't do that Lisa. It's not what you think" her eyes were beaming with excitement "Matt's at the bar getting me a Margarita, I asked him to get you a Baybreeze too, so please sit. There's so much I need to tell you!"

Relieved at the news, Lisa sat across from Cynthia, while her friend wouldn't stop raving about the blonde guy and his lovely smile. Apparently they had hit it off right away. At some point while the ginger kept praising Matthew's beautiful almond brown eyes, cute nose and gentle manners, Lisa would listen absentmindedly as she scanned the place for any sign of Jackson. She was secretly worried that he had decided not to come. All of a sudden, she felt two strong familiar hands on her shoulder.

"Happy Halloween milady" he whispered seductively in her ear, the tantalizing scent of his cologne unmistakable. She turned to smile up at Jackson before he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. Then she really looked at him, his fangs flashing as he smiled at her.

_I should have known._

He looked dazzling, dressed in a white shirt, black cravat, black silvery vest and pants, the look complete with a long black cape that fell from his shoulders elegantly. His sensual lips stood out against the paler skin of his face. He was sporting longer hair, not quite shoulder length. It looked messier and sexier, definitely sexier.

Stunned she managed to choke out. "Hi." The sight of the sexiest vampire ever had rendered her speechless

"Lisa...Lisa! Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Cynthia this is Jack..." Lisa nervously stammered as she realized she hadn't thought of how she would introduce Jackson to others.

"Jack O'Donovan, it's nice to meet you Cynthia. Leese has told me so much about you" He decided to get the name thing, thus saving Lisa from trying to introduce him. He'd guessed he couldn't introduce himself as Jackson Rippner and pull this off. He took the younger woman's right hand and brought it to his lips

Cynthia was every bit as dazzled by Jackson's good looks as everyone else in the room. Not only was he gorgeous, but he oozed charm and style. _No wonder he has swept Lisa off her feet. _She couldn't help a nervous giggle that escaped her lips. In the meantime, Jackson moved to sit next to an even more nervous Lisa.

"You two work together, right Cyn?"

"That's right, I'm her assistant" She figured she might as well try to engage in conversation with him since Lisa remained tongue-tied. "So, what about you? What do you do?"

Lisa's panic settled as she heard Cynthia's question, so she rushed to answer "Surveillance!"

"I'm a sociologist"

Cynthia fixed a glazy stare on both of them, looking visibly puzzled

"I've been doing some work in Surveillance studies lately"

"Oh I see. Sounds very interesting!"

"Thank you" he took a moment to wrap an arm around Lisa, as if to calm her down. He thought she would pass out at any moment.

"Well, it's wonderful to finally meet you, Jack" Cynthia smiled at both of them, marveling at how perfect he and Lisa looked together, and silently envying them both "Just out of curiosity, how did you two meet?"

Right at that moment, Matt came back, while Lisa silently thanked whatever deity had taken pity of her situation. As soon as Matt handed both girls their drinks, Lisa quickly sipped on her Baybreeze while Cynthia proceeded with the introductions.

"Jack this is Matt, he works with us at the hotel. Matt, this is Jack, he is Lisa's boyfriend"

_Dear God_

Lisa nearly choked on her drink_. Mental note, never hang out with Cynthia outside work ever again._

"Nice to meet you man" Jackson decided he would just go with the flow. Besides he found the whole situation really amusing.

Jackson carried the conversation a few minutes more; explaining how they had met in a Tex-Mex, which was true, he just didn't go into detail. Nevertheless, Lisa knew she needed to get some air soon. Plus, she thought it would do Cynthia some good to focus on her own potential date, rather than poke her nose into her and Jackson's relationship.

"Oh, I'm sorry Matt, Cynthia asked you for the wrong drink" She looked at the younger man in apology, trying to sound convincing "I wanted to get a Seabreeze"

"But Lisa, I thought you didn't order Seabreezes since that incident at the airport last summer"

_God, I am going to kill Cynthia if she keeps talking. _Lisa turned to glare at the redhead so that she could see the threat in her eyes, then looked at Jackson and held his hand "Do you wanna get a drink too, sweetie?"

"Sure pumpkin" he gave her a wicked grin before turning to Cynthia "We'll be back in a moment, plus Matt here will keep you company, right Matt?"

Though he seemed a bit surprised by the sudden turn of events, Matt appeared perfectly happy at the prospect of spending some time with Cynthia, and he promptly nodded "I'll be happy to"

Jackson winked at the two of them, before setting to find Lisa who was already on her way to the bar. He caught up with her, took her hand and led her onto an enclosed balcony. He stood there for a few moments, just admiring the view, loving the way her breasts would rise and fall with each agitated breath. He knew the dress would hug her body beautifully when he picked it up for her; she looked classy and sexy at the same time. When Lisa noticed an unreadable smile on his face, she looked at him with a questioning look in her eyes as he dipped down to whisper hotly in her ear "Leese, I want you so bad"

Before Lisa knew it, Jackson was crushing her against him in a deeply passionate kiss. She returned it at first; her tongue dueling hotly with his before she pulled away.

"Not here! I don't want an audience"

She pleaded with him to end this madness, but the sexy vampire held her in his embrace. Lucky for them, the balcony was empty as he pulled her over against one of the glass windows and turned her so that she was facing the night sky. He managed to cover them both with his cape, and his hands came around her body, one sliding under the skirts of her red dress with ease, delving into her wet folds and toying with her clit, the other teasing and pinching her aroused nipples through the fabric. His mouth trailing kisses down her neck to her shoulders.

Eventually, certain that they could steal a few moments of pleasure without people noticing, Lisa relaxed against Jackson, indulging in the sensations as she felt his hands working her into a state of madness His mouth slid away for a moment and a whispered word in her left ear warned her she was becoming too loud, before he went back to lick and nibble on her neck. Lisa bit her lips and made an effort to silence her moans, but in the end the insistent pressure of his thrusting fingers was her demise and let a loud piercing cry escape her lips while Jackson brought her to completion.

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**Well fellas, this is it for now. There's one more chapter to go. Thanks for the reviews once again, they mean a lot. Have a nice weekend everybody**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's been a rough week and although I know that the holiday is now a distant memory, I hope you can pretend it's still Halloween. Here's another chapter you guys. Thanks for the support**

* * *

Lisa took another look at herself in the mirror. Satisfied that she no longer looked as disheveled as she did minutes ago, she decided to leave the restroom and go back to the party. She saw Jackson from a distance, pouring a glass of wine. She could tell he was still heavily aroused and was having a hard time hiding it, but he would have to be patient. After all she had promised that once they were in the privacy of a bedroom, it would be worth the wait.

As Lisa headed back to the table she couldn't help noticing Jackson turning a lot of female heads. Many women kept passing by, watching him like animals on the prowl. None of them seemed to care how obvious their drooling was and she almost had to push her way through. Once she sat next to Jackson, Lisa pulled him in for a long kiss as a way of making a statement. '_Back off, bitches! He's mine'_

When they parted, he was grinning at her cheekily. "What's the matter Leese, you jealous?" he asked in a teasing voice.

_Guess I'm that obvious too_

"Jealous? Why would I be? Just because you decided to show up like the ultimate sex fantasy and all the women here are devouring you with their eyes?" she shrugged it off and took a sip of her Seabreeze before she looked away.

"C'mon, it's not like I'm dressed up as a fucking Cullen"

Lisa burst up laughing at his joke "Or Christian Grey, God forbid!" she turned to meet his cerulean eyes and smiled at him brightly "Now don't get a big head on me, but you look astounding! I mean, even more so than usual" she genuinely complimented, not feeling ashamed at all "How did you come up with the idea?"

"You could say that I've always been able to... effortlessly pull out the look, and I like having fun on Halloween. Plus, I thought it could make this whole situation more enjoyable for you, Halloween Grinch!" he smiled at her running the back of his hand tenderly down the side of her face. "Did it work?"

"I'd say it's working too well" she took a moment to glare at some random Catwoman and Harley Quinn who had just ogled her man with lustful eyes; lucky for the gals, Lisa she couldn't recognize them in their costumes. Right then it hit her, she saw him as her man.

_'This is Jack, he is Lisa's boyfriend'_

Yup, that's how Cynthia had introduced him, and as awkward as the situation may have been, neither of them had corrected her. Nevertheless, they would probably need to address the subject at some point.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"What?"

"Well, it seems that something's on your mind. I'm kind of hoping it's our little interlude in the balcony, cause we could carry on right here, baby!" He raised his eyebrows naughtily

Lisa blushed at the memory, shook her head swallowed two gulps of her ruby red drink, marveling at the way this man could turn her on so much in seconds.

"As interesting as your exhibitionist tendencies are Jackson, that's not what I was I thinking" Since she didn't feel it was the right time to discuss their relationship status, she thought she would just change the subject "I've gotta say there's something I found rather surprising tonight Jackson"

He smiled and tilted his head in interest, setting his glass back on the table as she did. "And what might that be?"

"Tell me, are you actually a sociologist?"

"You know that I never lie, don't you Leese?"

"You can't be serious!" her attention totally diverted at that point "You and I both know that everybody lies!"

"Well Dr. House, allow me to rephrase myself" He smirked and Lisa rolled her eyes at his comment, but then he turned serious "Look, I do keep secrets, I mean who doesn't? Even if I didn't do what I do, I'd still keep secrets" he regarded her before taking a sip of his wine "The problem is that once you start fabricating lies, shit is bound to happen, because it is way too hard to keep track on all the lies that one invents. I'd rather save myself the trouble so I avoid lying as much as I possibly can"

_Well he does have a point there_. Her eyes softened in understanding, but she was still intent on proving that he told lies after all..

"What about the fake names, Ironman?

"You mean my fake identities? It's different. I play the part they give me, like in a movie" Lisa raised an eyebrow at that and was about to question him further before Jackson interrupted her, guessing where she was going.

"If you're wondering about earlier, people have called me Jack throughout my life... as a matter of fact, I remember you calling out that name in very pleasant circumstances, so I no longer mind" He had an extremely smug look on his face, and she glanced away with reddened cheeks "As for the last name, I have Irish roots on my mother's side. Her maiden name was O'Donovan"

Lisa looked back at Jackson, surprised at the new revelation. Moments like those were precious to her, given how little she knew about him even though he kept claiming that she knew him better than anyone. This was the most private detail he had revealed about himself since he told her his real name. However, Jackson was still unused to sharing that much information, so he returned his attention to his glass, finishing what was left of its content in a couple of gulps. She would have continued asking, hadn't she noted a pretty cheerful Cynthia, approaching the table along with Matt. Both of them had clearly been enjoying each other company.

"There you two are! we thought we'd lost you" Lisa said as her friends sat on the opposite side of the table "Are you having fun?"

"Indeed" Cynthia replied happily. Her wig looked a bit messy, probably from dancing or else, Lisa could only dare imagining what those two had been up to, their eyes were practically beaming.

"Wow Jack, if someone told me you were sipping on blood, I'd totally believe them" Jackson turned to look at the redhead in sincere amusement, flashing his vampire fangs as he smiled broadly "Oh really?"

"Sure! That's a great costume on you"

"Not as cool as Matt's though" Jackson attempted to gently change the subject as he praised the blonde's Brando cap, asking where he could find it.

"Well, my sister got it for me on my birthday. I think she bought it on Ebay or something" Matt smiled proudly at Jackson's compliment "But I disagree, I think my costume has got nothing on yours. Do you mind if I ask you where you got the contact lenses? They're so realistic"

Lisa had to fake-sneeze to hide her laugh. _Poor kid is clueless_

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not wearing any contacts"

"Dude, you are actually telling me those are your eyes!" Cynthia's jaw dropped so far down, Lisa had to reach for it and lift it after a few seconds. But instead of being embarrassed at all, the redhead looked at her friend in delight.

"Oh my god, Lisa your babies are going to be so beautiful!"

Jackson chuckled at Cynthia's remark, while Lisa blushed furiously.

_Ok, you were asking for this_

"Hey, why don't you two go back to the dance floor?" Lisa suggested as she stood and grabbed Cynthia and Matt by the hands, leading them back there.

"But we've just come back…"

"Well Cyn, it looks like you could use some more dancing... to wear off the alcohol you know? Gotta stay sharp!"

Getting Lisa's clue, Matt quickly took Cynthia's hand "Hey, isn't that 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love' I love that one! Wanna join me?" Before Cynthia could even answer, they were on their way back to the dance floor

Once the ginger and the blonde were out of sight, Jackson finally cracked up laughing. Lisa stood next to him for a moment with a frown on her face, before she finally punched his arm "Ouch, what was that for Leese?"

"Because you love it when I'm having a hard time"

"Don't be silly. You'd be in stitches too if you'd seen yourself a moment ag... ouch!"

"Stop it! I didn't come here to be laughed at. It's enough that I have to be here in my gramma's costume, now cut me some slack"

"Well, some naughty girl your gramma must have been. I'd say you really do wear that gothic dress" Lisa reached out to smack him but Jackson caught her hand instead and stood to gracefully twirl her.

"Jackson, what are you doing?" she demanded, as he began to lead her in a dance.

"Please milady, I apologize for my earlier behavior. Please let me make it up to you"

Jackson looked into her eyes intently and she couldn't help but soften under his gaze "Lisa Reisert, may I have this dance?" he asked quietly, his breath warm in her ear.

"All right. But just one," she cautioned.

The music was loud and fast. _Good, fast should be safe. _Lisa thought to herself. She wasn't sure how safe it would be if they slow danced. Nonetheless, Jackson pulled her close and moved against her. When the song finished, despite her initial offer, they kept dancing. At some point the music slowed, and they started a slow, sultry dance, moving into each other's arms, their bodies pressed tightly together. Lisa rested her head against Jackson's strong chest; she could hear his heart pounding in her ear. His chin rested on the top of her head. The heat between them was amazing, she felt so good in his arms, while his hands moved up and down her back in a gentle caress. Responding, she ran her hands over his back. Lisa looked up at Jackson, before he surprisingly spun her around and brought the dance to a dramatic end, dipping her carefully over his arm and holding her there.

"Let me up!" Lisa demanded, feeling a bit ridiculous.

His eyes burned into her, blazing with such an intense desire that took her breath away, before leaning down to kiss her.

Like earlier in the balcony, electricity flew between them and the kiss deepened. Mouths locked together, and stopping was the last thing in their minds. Just as Jackson started trailing scorching kisses down Lisa's throat, two awkward groans interrupted them.

They jumped apart to see Cynthia and Matt looking at them with startled faces,

"Lisa, sorry to interrupt but if you two plan to keep that up much longer you may get in trouble"

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**Well that's it for now. There's still at least one chapter left or maybe two. Let me know what you think. Hugs ;)**


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